Local storm shelter options

Amarillo, Texas - There are several ways to protect your family at home during a tornado.

The tornado sirens sound and you're at home with no basement or any other shelter to go. An option many homeowners are turning to is installing tornado shelters in or around their home. Local retailers tell us there are several different options that can meet your space needs. Safe rooms can be added above ground in your home or garage or below ground in your backyard and again in your garage.

We're told having a shelter can mean the difference between life or death in many tornadoes.

"Hiding in a bathtub or in a room is okay on some storms, but the big ones like they just had in Oklahoma where there was loss of life, you know you'd be better off being in a structure designed for tornadoes," Darrel Podzemny, owner of EF-5 Shelters says.

All shelters sold by Podzemny are tested to withstand an EF-5 tornado and winds in excess of 250 miles per hour.

We are told that if you are going to add a tornado shelter to your home, make sure it is a certified company to ensure it's been tested for your family's safety.

The Panhandle Regional Planning Commission also tells us, when you have a shelter installed be sure to get the GPS coordinates where the door is and give that information to family members. There might not be landmarks left to locate where your shelter is after a tornado for recovery efforts.